Landslide kills nine in West Kalimantan
The Jakarta Post Jakarta
Nine people died in a landslide in Panireman village, Pontianak, West Kalimantan on Friday following a day of heavy rain in the area.
The nine fatalities were among at least 12 people who were buried when a small hill suddenly collapsed and almost buried the small village.
A rescue team managed to dig out three people from the debris, while on Saturday, police and local authorities continued the search for another missing person.
West Kalimantan Police chief Brig. Gen. Iwan Pandjiwanta told reporters at the scene on Saturday, around 40 kilometers from Pontianak, that two of the nine fatalities were children.
West Kalimantan Police spokesman Comr. Suhadi, meanwhile, disclosed the names of the dead victims as Mat Tohir, 25; Marhasih, 19; Marnadi, 5; Ani, 3; Mudin, 25; Faisal, 25 and his wife (whose name is unknown), and another two unidentified victims.
He said the search would continue for the next couple of days, while the rest of the villagers were told to be on alert in case of more landslides.
A witness said that the landslide hit seven houses in the village at around 3 p.m. after heavy rain.
"The survivors were dug out from debris at least one-meter deep. We took them to the community health center and then finally transferred them to the local hospital," a witness, Ahmad, was quoted by Antara as saying.
The survivors are currently undergoing treatment at Soedarso hospital.
Late last year in Lampung, a similar disaster killed at least 11 people.
The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) has predicted that the rainy season would reach its peak in January and February, with the possibility of huge floods hitting several areas in the country.
Only last year, the country saw the biggest flood to date that paralyzed several major cities in the country, including the capital of Jakarta.
And in December, a popular tourist destination Pacet hot springs in Central Java made the headlines when a mudslide buried a crowded resort, killing over 30 people.